It was when I found out we had The Library restaurant all to ourselves that this would be a birthday to remember.
My partner and I were staying the night at Douneside House, Tarland, and the intimate dining room was set to be where we’d enjoy our tasting menu.
We’d opted for paired wines and while the reservation was for 7.30pm, we were politely asked by the ever welcoming team at the boutique hotel to make our way downstairs for 7pm in advance when checking in.
“We’ll show you the menu and it will give you time to order a drink with the nibbles,” the team member explained.
We uncovered a plate of complimentary petit fours in our room with ‘Happy Birthday Calum’ written in melted chocolate. On it was a bite-sized chocolate orange macaron, raspberry fruits de pastille and white chocolate and cranberry and pistachio fudge.
After sprucing ourselves up, we headed downstairs in preparation for our meal.
We made our way to the bar area where a large roaring fire with seating surround welcomed us. It’s warm glow enticing us on the cold November Friday night.
Ordering a drink each, Windswept IPA for him and a Apple Garden Spritz cocktail made with apples from their gardens for me, we were handed the menu to review. Six courses of deliciousness stared back.
I clocked a plate of nibbles – sun dried tomato and paprika bites and chilli nuts – making its way towards us. We tucked into them as we sipped away and enjoyed one another’s company.
Douneside House
The Library is where diners enjoying the tasting menu or dining club events are seated. In the main conservatory is where the full hotel menu can be enjoyed, and both spaces, although different, are elegant and stylish.
This room though, The Library, is intimate and cosy, it’s a glamourous warm hug wrapped up in a room and with books, dimmed lighting and a gorgeous fireplace, its name is fitting.
The food
The night commenced with a trio of canapes. Duck samosa, gravadlax and gougere all sat in a row.
The gravadlax (cured salmon with dill) was my favourite. Refreshing and punchy in flavour, it stood out the most. However the cheesy choux pastry gougere stole my boyfriend’s heart when the melted cheese oozed delicately out.
We tucked into a few slices of fennel loaf, slathering it with the vibrant wild garlic butter on the table which our knives glided through.
James Payne, the operations manager and sommelier, appeared at the door. Having been at Douneside since 2019, he took great pride in telling us that the tap water we had requested in fact came from the estate’s own water reserve.
Guided by his expertise, the first of the wines was served. A 2016 Lonely Vineyard Riesling from Eden Valley, South Australia. The red plate the mackerel was served on made the dish pop, and James then poured the ceviche liquor made from citrus juices, fish stock and chilli on top.
It was fresh, zesty, crisp and sharp all at once. The three pieces of fish had been blow torched and was cooked beautifully. I loved the citrus acidity of the sauce and the nuts added a lovely texture. Small circles of red onion added a punchiness to it but it was the sweetness of the golden raisins I adored. The small ball of pickled kohlrabi popped in my mouth. The flavour was sensational and the lemon balm and green leaves on top finished it perfectly.
The second course saw one of the team, Bethany, present the dish. This was her creation: the mushroom tortellini. A quails egg sat in the middle of three delicate filled pasta shells. Poured over it was a miso and mushroom tea broth.
Mushroom was deliciously pungent throughout and it really showed up. This dish was stunning and another impressive addition to the line-up.
James presented two orange wines for us to contrast and compare. Using a coravin, he poured us a glass each of the 2021 Ambpells Garnacha Blanca Brisat from Terra Alta Spain and the Solerte Macerato IGT Terre Siciliane 2021. Both were delectable, but I preferred the first of the two.
Our third wine was another white, this time a 2020 Vire-Clesse Harmonie Domaine Verpaille from Burgundy, France to go with the cod dish.
The buttery beurre blanc sauce it sat on was melt in the mouth. Anything covered in it would taste good, but this was excellent. The sous chef presented this dish. He told me how he’d sous vide the cod in olive oil to make it soft, and quite honestly I’ve never had a piece of fish like it. The squid ink tuile really added impact visually and the butternut squash cubes were a nice addition.
Our first red (2015 Rugra Scajeta Nebbiolo Monferrato from Piemonte, Italy) was served with our first meat dish of the night – ossobuco.
This was also the course we met head chef, Victor Navarro, who informed me he has to specially order the cut of veal from his butcher to ensure he can get it. The bone marrow in the middle was soft and excellently delicious. It was an adventurous dish, one I hadn’t seen before, but everything, including the succulent meat, worked in harmony.
This was Calum’s favourite dish. The meat itself had a saffron and lemon crumb on top, and the Albufera sauce was delicious. A small serving of polenta was on the side.
The penultimate dish was named garden pear. A bite-sized tart which featured a blue cheese mousse and slice of pear. The immediate taste was from the strong blue, however the sweet white dessert wine 2020 Kika Noble Late Harvest from South Africa complemented the savoury flavours perfectly.
Calum wasn’t so sure of this dish, but we both agreed the paper thin tart itself was crisp and the pear helped balance with its fruity sweetness, too.
The last course was another favourite. Chocolate ganache served with chocolate caviar, praline, cremeux and a dollop of malt ice cream, it was a chocolate lovers dream.
Beautifully presented, it was the pastry chef who presented this number. He talked through his method of spherification for the caviar and the different textures made this an interesting eat. Crunchy, soft, and then a creamy mouthfeel after, it was stunning.
James paired it with a 20-year-old Corney & Barrow Tawny Port from Douro Valley Portugal. The rich, red dessert wine was a little too much for me, although Calum adored the combination.
I’d extended an invitation for a dance to to the soft, acoustic music that had been playing in the background, seeing as we were the only couple in The Library, but alas he declined.
A nightcap in the bar sounded much more appealing to him, so we ventured through and I polished off a salted caramel Old Fashioned while he enjoyed a dram.
Logan, the bartender, had also been presenting wines and courses throughout the evening, and I appreciated the attention to detail he and the rest of the team went into when describing everything. We retired to our room shortly after, bellies and hearts full.
The verdict
Douneside House is like no other fine dining experience you will experience in the north-east. The attention to detail is astounding, and the team cannot do more for you.
No ask too big, no favour too small. They really do make you feel as if you’ve got the comforts of home.
The kitchen team work in harmony with front of house, and I loved that we got face time with some of the chefs preparing our dishes. Not to mention some who created the dishes for the menu.
The food alone is absolutely outstanding and what the team have achieved over the past few years of it being open to the public is tremendous.
Yes this place is luxurious, but my goodness is it special, and well worth a visit for a special occasion.
Information
Address: Douneside House, Tarland, Aboyne AB34 4UL
T: 01339 881230
Price: The tasting menu is £85 or £135 with paired wines. It is served Wednesday to Sunday with bookings from 7-8pm.
Scores:
- Food: 5/5
- Service: 5/5
- Surrounding: 5/5
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